


All's Fair In Love and Cupcake Wars

by gingertintedglasses



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cupcake Wars AU, Cupcakes, F/M, Fluff, Rivals to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22205725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingertintedglasses/pseuds/gingertintedglasses
Summary: This is for the 2019 BuckyNat Secret Santa and the prompt "Bucky & Nat competing".  James and Natasha are bakers in NYC who have been invited to participate in Cupcake Wars.  As finalists, they have to compete and not end up too taken with one another.  There's bragging rights and a national audience on the line.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23
Collections: BuckyNat Secret Santa 2019





	All's Fair In Love and Cupcake Wars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StrikeTeamDelta (panicsdownpour)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/panicsdownpour/gifts).



> I've been watching a lot of baking and house hunting shows lately and this is what came out. I hope you like this! I couldn't think of a mission-related fill that was original, and I didn't dare attempt athletics (go team, do the thing, get the points!) so I hope you enjoy this (literally) fluffy/sweet fill. Also, it made me hungry and my house will be full of baked good tomorrow.

_ Contestant Interview, Stage Left _

“James Barnes is the best baker in Brooklyn.” Natasha arched a single eyebrow at the camera and smiled wide. “But I’d never say that to his face.”

“How do you feel about this final challenge?” _Cupcake Wars_ staff interviewer Ned Leeds asked.

“I’m feeling…” she paused, pursed her lips, and nodded to herself before deciding to say: “positive.”

_ Contestant Interview, Stage Right _

“Natasha’s good. _Great_. For a Manhattan bakery.” James cut a wily grin at the camera filming his interview. “I knew it would come down to the two of us.”

“Are you feeling confident going into this final challenge?” _Cupcake Wars_ staff interviewer, Peter Parker, asked.

James shrugged. “I know I’ll do well. I won’t say I’ll win. That’s asking for trouble. And Natasha’s trouble to begin with.”

_ Final Challenge, 3 hours remaining _

Natasha was pretty sure this was some cruel joke from the universe. _Yes_ , she was thrilled to have had the chance to compete and make it this far. But a Valentines episode? _Really_? She’d made it through easily enough with a red velvet cupcake and whipped cream vodka infused frosting in the first round and a spice cake cupcake with caramel bourbon frosting and a cream cheese filling in the second.

But for the final round, she had to step up her game considerably. She’d had a few recipes in mind when she walked on set that day, and had been unsure going into this final challenge which she’d want to use. But now, as she stared at the bottle of Fireball Whiskey on the counter in front of her that the judges had revealed as a ‘mystery ingredient’, she couldn’t help her smile. She mentally threw out the options she’d walked in with and headed for the shelving off to one side that housed ingredients.

“I’m going to make a vanilla bean cupcake with raspberry buttercream frosting.” she stage whispered to the camera. James was a few yards away picking out his own ingredients. “But the inside will be filled with a dark chocolate, cinnamon ganache.” She glanced quickly over the shelving and reached for one of the top shelves and missed. “The Fireball will be the cinnamon and the alcohol won’t all bake off, so it’ll be an extra little kick.” She reached again, and missed, huffing out a frustrated breath.

She stepped away to find a step stool, only to bump into James, who dropped the bag of flour in his hands. The bag of flour that burst at the seams and went. _Everywhere_.

Natasha shook out her hair and carefully wiped around her eyes before daring to open her eyes. “Sorry, James.”

He was trying not to laugh and was about as covered as she was. “Me too.” He reached up past her, right to the Madagascar vanilla she needed. “Here.” He handed it to her and flashed a blinding smile.

Oh.

“Thanks. Sorry again.”

“There’s more flour. And it’ll make for a funny moment when the episode airs.”

Yes. Just what she wanted. What she was _completely_ aware would play on TV as a rom-com meet-cute moment. And she wasn’t unaware of how handsome James was. She was just. Indifferent. Obviously.

He had a really, really great smile.

***

Even with the help of a team of bakers, three hours was a tight turn-around on baking 1,000 cupcakes. Natasha had all of the cakes in the oven though, so she could turn her attention to the ganache and frosting she’d need.

“I just hope one bottle of Fireball is enough.” She grinned at the camera as it filmed her measuring out ingredients for the ganache in a large pot.

The assistant bakers had her buttercream frosting well underway and it was looking excellent.

“Kate!” Natasha had another idea and she called to Kate, who she’d brought with her from Widowbaker Cupcakes for the challenge. “Can you roll out some marzipan hearts?”

“Pink, red, white?” Kate was already grabbing the bowls and tools she’d need.

“Roll in some gold flake, and yes.”

“On it!” And Kate was, rushing toward the shelving full of ingredients.

“Now all we’ll need is the display that the carpenter is making.” Natasha mused, looking up from the ganache to give the camera another grin.

_ Final Challenge, 1 hour remaining _

“Natasha and I have both been on the show before.” James was busy making a blackberry reduction as he spoke to the camera. “Not at the same time, but. We’ve both been here before _and_ we’ve both won. I’m making a black velvet cupcake with a whipped cinnamon-blackberry frosting.”

He stepped away to shake off his shirt, again. The spilled flour had tripped both he and Natasha up as they spent a good few minutes shaking out their clothes and hair. He’d gotten most of it out of the way enough that he could finish the competition, and it looked like she did, too.

James was sure that their run-in would be edited to play on screen as a cute moment of attraction-tension which, fine. But it was a cupcake competition, who needed that moment? Maybe because it was a Valentine’s Day episode, the show did. And if he was honest for a moment, Natasha was gorgeous. And if he was vain for a moment, he was pretty handsome, too.

But it was a cupcake competition, and they ran into each other by all the shelving. Even though it was caught on-camera, it wasn’t likely it’d be used in the show. Maybe for a laugh, which would be fine. And also _why was he even still thinking about it_?

“You need help with the frosting or are you going to go slowly and pine and lose this for us?”

James groaned. “Shut up, Sam.”

Sam, co-owner of Red velVet Cupcakes, was smiling too wide for James’ comfort. “I’m just saying. I thought you were past the whole teenage heart-eyes thing. I mean, theme-appropriate but unhelpful.”

“Can’t you focus on the batter instead?”

“Less fun. Also, it’s already in the oven.” Sam reached for the Fireball and passed it along to James.

“Look at that, you are useful.”

“Jimmy.”

“You know I hate that.”

“And yet.”

“Fine. I’m focusing. And for the record, I’m not pining.”

“Mmhmm.”

***

James had asked his carpenter to build him a giant jewelry box (with a working hinge) to house the cupcakes. When he saw his display rolled in, he was so, so pleased. Tiffany blue with a gold bow and plenty of room for cupcakes when it opened; a beautiful and tasty Valentine’s Surprise.

Natasha’s looked gorgeous; a giant bouquet of flowers with spaces around and _in_ the wooden flowers for her cupcakes to sit. Damn. That was beautiful and inventive and given how well they’d both done so far, it might very well come down to the display.

With twenty minutes left, James didn’t have long to think on it; he, Sam, and their assistant bakers had cupcakes to arrange on their display. _Without_ dropping or ruining any of them.

_ Final Challenge Result _

Natasha had promised herself that if she didn’t win, she would be secure in the knowledge that she made it to the final challenge and could bring that back to her shop with her head high.

There was no need. She’d won. _She won_. Her Nice-And-Naughty cupcakes had been a huge hit – fluffy cake and dark, delicious, spicy ganache filling was a delicious juxtaposition. James’ cupcakes had been delectable, too, but her display had helped to elevate her overall final product for the judges.

She had to admit James’ display was inventive (the hinge _worked?!_ ) but she couldn’t say she was sorry it didn’t win. This was _huge_ for her shop. James was congratulatory and professional behind the scenes and went his own way with his business partner shortly after the event ended. She hadn’t spoken to him since right after she’d been announced the winner and they’d left the show kitchen for the event.

Which was fine, obviously.

***

“So I’ve already called Gemma and she’s going to get the website updated with the news and add photos and links once the show updates their site and get a frame for the award they had printed so we can hang it in the shop next to the other one.”

“Perfect.” Natasha didn’t look up from where she was busy double-checking her suitcase. They were flying home in the morning and she was pretty sure she’d packed everything and had her clothes laid out for morning.

“You know, we were only here a few days. I feel like if you’d forgotten something, you’d know it.”

Kate was a little too perceptive. “I’m just being careful.”

“Distracted. But you’re both from New York. I bet you’ll see him again.”

That had Natasha looking up from her bags. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kate shrugged. “Ok. I’m going to shower. Dinner after?”

“Your treat, nosy.”

Kate made a noise of distress, but relented. “Fine.”

_ Three weeks later _

James would never admit out loud that Sam got under his skin. But Sam had gotten under his skin. He wasn’t really comfortable going to Natasha’s bakery. They were technically rivals, despite being in different parts of the city. They were both in food service and it was a fairly cutthroat industry and so it wasn’t really _good_ to be frequenting a technical rival’s establishment.

He didn’t really want to be here. He liked Natasha, he thought she as gorgeous and smart and really, _really_ good at what she did. But she was a rival and had just beat him less than a month ago on national television. It sort of left a bad taste in his mouth.

Sam had looked at him, raised an eyebrow and pointed at the front door of Red velVet and said, _Don’t come back in here until you’ve talked to her._

So here he was. About to step into her shop and it annoyed him that she was competent and confident but it also pushed all his buttons so _fine_. Fine, Sam. You win.

***

Natasha looked up hearing the bell over her shop door. She prided herself on her poker face, but in this instance, her customer-ready smile dropped instantly.

“James.”

“Hi, Natasha.” He stayed standing just inside the door.

“Are you lost?”

He was handsome and skilled and so _arrogant_ (confident, Kate had corrected her and ok, maybe she had a point. It’s not like the same couldn’t – hasn’t – been said about Natasha, too).

James scowled. “Maybe. I was coming by to. Congratulate you. Officially.”

“Thanks.” Natasha couldn’t help herself and let his moment of discomfort stretch out for a few _more_ moments before she spoke again. “Would you like a cupcake?”

James huffed a breath out and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Natasha didn’t usually like an unkempt look. It looked good on James.

“I’m supposed to ask you on a date.”

“Wow.” Natasha snarked. “You really know how to sweep a woman off her feet, James.”

“I mean I want to.”

“You do.”

“Sure. Yeah.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Convincing.”

James loosed a frustrated sound and finally met her eyes. He had really, really blue eyes and Natasha congratulated herself on not thinking they were beautiful. Half-congratulated. Whatever they were gorgeous and James was _really_ inconvenient.

“I want to ask you out but I _don’t_ want to because …we’re competitors but you’re really good at what you do and it’s frustrating.”

Natasha didn’t know he read minds but she kept that to herself. She also only made him (and herself, if she was being honest) suffer in silence for just another few moments before giving in. “Well, we _are_ in different parts of the city, so I guess it’s a little different.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Well,” Natasha couldn’t help the smile that crept across her face, “you haven’t technically asked me out yet.”

James laughed. “Could I take you out on a date?”

She fought a wider smile and failed. “Yeah. I’d like that. Would you like a cupcake?”

“Please.”

“Great.” Natasha reached under the till for her purse and called Kate out of the back room. “Let’s go. I know a great place.”


End file.
